Histrionics: Hilarious Display of Emotions
by ariadne-chan
Summary: CH5: Beautiful, he decided, wasn't a strong enough word./ A series of humorous drabbles and short ficlets, Usui and Misaki style.
1. Chapter 1

**okay, you guys asked for this. ^-^**

—

Ayuzawa Misaki's favorite part about lunchtime was that it was her break from classes, idiot school boys and, well, Usui Takumi. She had had a long morning; her class had recently been assigned with Seika High's upcoming school dance, and, being the class President, she had been of course expected to head the preparations for the event. Geez, as if her hands weren't full with different kind of stuff already.

_"A school dance? But if you consider boys to girls ratio on Seika High, it would be impossible!"_

_"In this case, Kaichou, shouldn't we be allowed to invite our own dates?"_

_"NO! This is strictly a Seika High event!"_

_"What do you want, then, boys go in pairs?"_

_"What the hell?"  
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_"The fuck I'd be holding hands and dancing with one of my own."  
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_"One more expletive and trust me, you'll be sorry for the rest of your lives."  
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_"Try to see some sense, Kaichou! A dance won't be a dance until there are a sufficient amount of girls! What do you expect us to do, stare at each other all night? Give each other corsages? Pin each other bouttonnieres?"_

_"Shut up! I'm trying to come up with something here."  
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_"Why, five boys, one girl, how exciting does that sound?"_

_" JUST SHUT UP!"_

_"Yih, Kaichou so scary."_

_"I wonder who'd be taking her to the dance, though."_

_"As if anyone would dare."_

_"Well, Usui-kun would, he seems to be the only person who can stand Kaichou's violent antics—"_

_"ARE YOU GUYS REALLY WISHING FOR AN EARLY DEATH?"_

She covered her face with her hands in exasperation. She could have killed her school mates right there and then.

"Ahh, there you are, Misa-chan."

Speak of the devil and the devil doth appear. Unfortunately for our poor heroine, her personal demon happened to appear in the shape of a rather attractive, golden haired young man named Usui Takumi. This particular demon had proven to be quite talented, excelling in athletics, cooking, violin, chess, table etiquette, and appearing out of nowhere.

"Get out of my sight!" she snapped, even as he slid in smoothly next to her on the bench. Misaki positively glowered. "What do you want!"

"How was your day?"

"Don't make things any harder than they already are."

"I _can _make things easier for you."

"Go. Away. Pervert."

"Will you go to the dance with me?"

"What?" she whipped around and surprise registered on her face at the sudden change of topic. Usui Takumi asking her out to the school dance? "What? No!"

"Did you even understand what I just asked you about?"

"Of course I did!"

"What?"

"What _what?"_

Misaki sighed for the umpteenth time, breathing deeply as she struggled to regain her composure. With Usui, _nothing_ can ever be easy.

"Did you?"

"Usui-baka, I'm not in the mood for your stupid games, alright? Step aside already."

"Just repeat it for me."

"Will you go to the dance with me?"

"Sure."

Ayuzawa Misaki's favorite part about lunchtime was that it was her break from classes, idiot school boys and, well, Usui Takumi. That Tuesday morning she gawked at his retreating back, and her face turned into a flurry of emotions—from shock to disbelief to horror as understanding dawned on her. Usui placed both hands inside his pockets as he whistled a happy tune, apparently unaware of the Class President's bubbling, infernal wrath. Without a care in the world, he walked on to his next class.

"Wohoho, would you believe, Kaichou just asked Usui-kun to go with her to the dance!"

—

**want to read more kind of funny, open slash abrupt end bits of fluff? keep posted! add ariadne-chan on your author alerts. ^-^**


	2. Chapter 2

**drabble's quite clean, despite the suggestive description.  
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—

_It had never struck them before, but there was something disturbingly erotic about the way they glided across the floor._

—

They had managed to hire a decent band, despite the meager funds the student council had been allotted to. The band struck up a chord as students dressed in tasteful evening separates entered the auditorium, filling the background with a steady beat. The black and white theme of the school dance had been decided earlier on as absolutely cliched and boring, but everyone had to hand it to Kaichou; she and the rest of her team had managed to turn the otherwise boring student activity into a classy soiree.

Peace had been restored and a truce had been agreed upon by allowing the boys to invite their own dates to the dance, provided that they shouldered the expenses that came with additional guests. Kaichou sure could be quite cunning, and the boys had decided that she looked quite wonderful in the strapless dress replete with sweetheart neckline that she kept on hitching up, and the pleated skirt that she kept smoothing down. It had never struck them before, but with the ruched bodice and grosgrain trim she had never looked more feminine.

It was a quarter to eight in the evening, and the event was in full swing. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and only a handful of people had noticed that the president never so much as shifted on her seat nor allowed anyone to escort her to the dance floor; her eyes kept darting left and right for the first signs of misbehavior, ready to unleash doom to the unfortunate soul if proven necessary.

The eyes of the crowd were instantly drawn on Usui Takumi as he quietly stood up from his seat and crossed the room in several large strides. He looked gorgeous in a two button, corduroy-velveteen suit. Heads were turned as he appeared in front of a serious-looking girl reluctantly adorned in white, and the murmurs began as he offered his gloved hand.

"May I have this dance?"

At first, amber eyes looked back at him, perplexed; her hands clenched into fists as if she considered punching him straight in the gut, but seemed to think better of it. Her eyes briefly scanned the crowd, took his proffered arm and finally, slowly, got into her feet.

"Misa-chan."

His voice was low, and it thrummed against the stern beat of the music. It had always been considered a mystery, how Usui-kun could address their president so casually and manage to get away unscathed. The rest of their schoolmates watched the developments, curious. It was one of the rare moments where Ayuzawa Misaki, student council president and official school bully, did not make a ruckus out of anything she deemed out of the ordinary. It was a well-known fact that she did not suffer fools gladly, and Usui-kun, after all, almost never made it to her immunity list.

It had never struck them before. Usui-kun and Kaichou rarely danced; it was often at the few and far between school functions or the occasional invites from other elite schools, and even then they maintained their distance. Perhaps a dance or two throughout the event. But for partners who seldom shared a dance, they moved with fluidity that practiced partners could not perfect.

_It was a tango._ The golden-haired hero, as seen through the eyes of the Seika High male population, led the president through a perfectly executed tango. Supposedly a particularly distant dance, but there was something disturbingly erotic about the way they moved. Their arms were held stiffly, distance kept between their faces as they looked in the opposite direction and swung about the dance floor.

With nearly half a meter in between their bodies as they danced, they seemed closer than the onlookers had ever seen them. Every step they took was passionate; the quick snaps of their heads to the music as properly executed as if the entire thing had been previously choreographed and practiced several times before this impromptu performance.

And when the music came to a stop, he dipped her low—to the point where her released dark tresses scraped against the floor—before swinging her back upright, his fingers still tightly entwined with hers.

The music picked up pace, and for a moment golden and emerald eyes stared at each other. The rest of the school watched anxiously as she seemed to consider leaving the dance floor. But then she leaned into his shoulder, murmured something into his ear, and their steps resumed. Again, they filled the area with the unrestrained passion of a couple that could only share their affection on a dance floor.

The music subtly morphed into another, and then she leaned both her arms against his chest and gently pushed away. His face became a flurry of emotions until he settled on a smile, because it was easiest. The warmth never reached his eyes.

The students of Seika High learned quite a long time ago that they loved watching Usui-kun and the Prez dance.

It had just never struck them before.

—

**to the dear reviewer, as requested. ;p  
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	3. Chapter 3

**gah, it was harder than i thought! T_T  
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—

_Sure, it was one damned _cliché_, but it really takes two to tango.  
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—

Golden traces of fading day surrounded the sky and embraced it with brilliant shades of colors, everything suspended across the silky surface of mist and air. It had been an unusually tiring day, so thought Usui Takumi as he tugged at the base of the knot of his tie. He ran a hand against his hair and actually considered heading back to his apartment when he finally decided that he had wasted an entire morning and the night prior to that preparing for the inevitable—his personal moment of truth.

God, he really had to stay away from cliches.

In truth, he was nervous. And he wasn't accustomed to feeling that way, as it had been an established fact that nothing ever affects and surprises him anymore. But there was something about _her _that creates the catch in his breath, that clutch in his gut, and all this time he thought he had it under control. All in a neat, tight, perfect bundle, his life without the rough edges and loose strings. He had managed fairly well on his own. And yet—

The door to her house opened and Usui took a step back. He glanced at his wristwatch and frowned; it was way too early, about two hours before the start of the school event. He watched her wobble on her heels, oblivious to his presence as she fished something out from her purse. She slammed the door shut and grumbled something that he perceived to be aggravation directed to her white dress, and he couldn't help but let out a chuckle. It was so like Prez to carry paperwork around. She looked up at the sound and her features dimmed considerably.

"What do you think you are doing here?"

"I'm your date for the night, aren't I?" He ignored her glare and gallantly extended an arm towards her. "Shall we?"

She would be going with him, whether she wanted to or not.

—

Ayuzawa Misaki folded her arms across her chest and looked outside the window. Usui sat beside her inside the luxurious car, and it was only her pride that prevented her from asking how on Earth he'd managed to hire a car, let alone a chauffeur. He offered no explanation for this himself, and so they sat in uncomfortable silence.

She stole a glance at the arrogant bastard clad in a black suit. The nerve of the guy to have tricked her into asking him to go to the dance together. He glanced back at her and for a fleeting moment, emerald eyes pierced hers; heat crept up her cheeks and she swiftly focused her glare back to the scenery outside the window with a ferocity that was more than what was strictly necessary.

Her heart began thumping wildly as the realization of how that small space between them entailed some vague sense of intimacy. She smoothed down the hem of the dress her mother had given her to regain composure; she never would have accepted had it not been for the fact that both her mother and sister had labored on the dress. She would never even consider buying herself one, and she would have worn a sack for the dance just to get everything over and done with.

"Stealing glances, are we, Misa-chan," came the sing-song voice of his that she utterly despised, yet secretly enjoyed. She knew he was only ever like that with _her. _"If you're not up to it we can always turn back and head for my place."

"You pervert! Let me out!"

—

But then again, after every unnecessary argument they had always called a truce. Misaki can never explain why she kept on letting Usui get the better of her, but as it had always been, it was pointless to resist. Usui Takumi appearing out of nowhere and invading on her life became a little short of clockwork.

Before she knew it, they had lost momentum, and he had swiftly crossed to the other side to help her out of the car. Misaki took his hand if only to save her the humiliation of losing balance and landing face-first on the cemented floor. She stepped away from him but not before catching a glimpse of the hurt on his face, but it was gone the next second that she had to wonder if it had really been there. Shaking her thoughts away, she let go of his hand.

"I...Usui, I still have to meet with my team to make sure everything goes exactly as planned."

"Hn."

She turned on her heel and walked away. But it was not without regret.

—

The music had long since started playing, and he was now at his wit's end, trying not to look as bored as he felt, relentlessly scanning the place filled with chattering people. Several boys had surrounded him and had been endlessly complaining how it was Kaichou's fault that they had not been able to get themselves dance partners; Usui merely sighed and tuned them out. Yes, it was _Kaichou's _fault that _he _was being surrounded by idiots, he himself alone and dateless.

For the past hour she had been an unstoppable force of nature, running here and there, smoothing down problems and checking on just about everything, Usui's eyes drinking her every move, every sigh, every frown, every turn. She never paused to eat or to drink, relentless as she was to make sure everything goes smoothly. Kaichou, the perfectionist. Usui marveled at the irony; perfection wasn't the way she strived for straight A's, it was her eyes. Perfection wasn't the way she deliberated and considered every matter to decide for the school's sake, it was her compassion. If it wasn't love, then he had no idea what it was.

A quick glance at his wristwatch showed a quarter to eight, and she still showed no sign of slowing down. Impatience was his vice, little known as it was to everyone else, making it seem like he was a man who loved to bide his time. He ignored the surprised yelp of his classmates as he abruptly stood up and deliberately made his way towards the student council table, headed for the girl whose eyes were glued to a bunch of papers.

He would endure no longer.

—

The music started playing, and for a moment everything else is forgotten. Usui pulled her closer, slowly and yet forcefully, startling Misaki as his right arm settled on the curve of her spine. It was after his left arm grasped her right in a strong yet disturbingly sensual clasp that she realized he was trying to play a game, and tilted her head up in defiance. _'Your last chance to give up,'_ his eyes seemed to say. _'Give up? Me? Never,'_ she responds, never bothering to utter a word. It was all in the eyes.

The music set off again as Misaki struggled to keep up with his pace. His steps were perfectly coordinated like he had learned the steps by heart, growing up. She glanced back up at him and remembered that they were both playing a game, and with a surprising burst of nerve she fought back and intertwined her left arm with his right, her fingers clutched tightly on his upper shoulder, tracing the somehow muscular shape of his back. Blasts of electricity shot though her body, but she is determined not to let it be noticed. Stubbornness and pride. _Tricky combination. _Sometimes good, sometimes destructive, but always, disturbingly, _sensual._

It was then that she decided to let herself go.

—

She was a puzzle, one he can't seem to be able to figure out. There was defiance in her eyes and he wondered whether she hated being with him that much. But it was always a good thing, wasn't it, that at least at some point even it was just a notch above _hate _there was still some degree of emotion he can associate himself to her with.

He regretted forcing her to dance a second after he offered her his hand. God knows he hated anything that made her feel uncomfortable, even if the hatred always bounced back to him. He was a selfish, selfish man when it came to her, the only person capable of bringing out the best and the worst in him. And then she surprised him by arching a hand up his shoulder, and again they were back to square one. He was beginning to hate mind games.

She seemed up to it, so he started moving. Slowly at first, his lead smooth and balanced as he guided them through the twilight. They avoided each other's gaze as they glided across the dance floor, soft summer breeze from the open doors caressing their skin and intensifying their senses. _He hates her. _He hated her for making him wait, hated her for not feeling the same way he did. He hated her for making him feel useless and a nuisance, like the family who never wanted him. But at the same time, he knows he doesn't hate her.

He loves her instead.

—

Usui suddenly pushed her away, only to pull her closer again, her chest crashing with his, all in the flaming explosion of the tango rhythm. Misaki breathed heavily as she felt his lips only inches away from hers—she was almost ready to give up to temptation, but the moment ended the second she looked up to his eyes that glittered with triumph over the effect he had on her. She felt cheated, _outraged_, and so she reached an arm around his neck and pulled him closer.

She had always loved challenges, and he won't be the last one to laugh.

—

His eyes glazed with the effort not to kiss her, in plain sight of everyone, and just then she snaked an arm around his neck. Usui took a deep intake of breath as he tried to regain control over his senses. He was failing miserably, but he was out of trance as soon as he caught her victorious glance. He wondered why she was doing this; did she really think he was only playing games with her? Everything Misaki did felt like she was only dealing with an inevitable nuisance, a challenge of some sort, and God knows how he hated being taken upon as a mere challenge. Was that all he ever was to her?

His gaze burned hers, and she must have seen something disturbing in his eyes, because for a moment she seemed to consider leaving him right there and then. He had completely lost it; the school was gone, the auditorium was gone, their friends were gone—his senses unaware of anything else besides that of her arms still wrapped around his neck. And her eyes. He wondered what it was with her that was making him, _willing him, _to surrender, to give up. He just wondered whether she realizes all this herself.

—

Misaki watched him turn, with that victorious gleam in his eyes, as if he had won something precious. She is surprised to discover that it matters nothing to her. Who won or who lost. _Nothing. _Because all that mattered now is to have her old Usui-baka back. Not that distanced and indifferent stone of a man he's been ever since she had avoided him after Yumesaki's culture festival. She wondered when they had become strangers unto themselves, wondered when she had become so uncomfortable that she had made him feel like she loved pushing him away.

She finally knew what she wanted now; the gentle, caring and kind Usui, the idiot she has fallen in love with. And as she continued to look him in the eyes, his every move in harmony with the dawdling melody that filled the air around them, she realized with sadness that maybe it is too late; too late to return to the way it used to be, to the Usui he used to be. She gently pushed away as she took a step back, effectively ending their proximity. It took a great deal of courage to let go of his hand, but then he smiled, and that was that.

It didn't help to know that it was all her fault.

—

The event had long since ended, and everyone had pretty much wrapped the evening up. The utility guys were just about finished tidying things up, and the auditorium was once again engulfed in darkness. _Solitude._

Misaki slumped against the table, the papers stacked in a forgotten mess in front of her. She frowned as strains of tango music reached her ears; did the audio people forget to turn the thing off? Whatever, she would just check everything was tidied up later. For now, she just wanted to have a break.

Everyone, from her classmates to her peers to the faculty, had praised her to high heavens for the wonderful outcome of their hard work. Everyone had had a great time. Everyone had memories to cherish for weeks and months to come.

Except, possibly, for her.

She sighed, closed her eyes, and willed Usui and other thoughts related to him to go away. She still had reports to do, figures to compute and records to finalize. She had no time for daydreams.

"It's getting late. I'll walk you home."

She stood up suddenly as she clutched at her chest, surprise registered on her face. Her eyes scanned the darkness and she found him sitting on one of the benches, his coat carelessly draped against the back of a chair, his tie loose and his hair all over his face. Beyond that, he looked tired.

"Usui? What are you still doing here?"

"Waiting for you."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

She hated playing verbal games with him as much as she hated having to guess what was on his mind. With Usui, she never quite knew where she stood. Like the time when he had first kissed her; she had never admitted it to anyone, much less to herself, that it meant quite a great deal to her, but kissing Yukimura was just too cruel a move for him to prove a point.

"Go away."

They were silent for a moment—she was lost in her thoughts, reality totally slipping away from her, but this time not because of his presence or the warmth of his body, but because of the undeniable realization that she had lost him, lost him forever. She felt a silent tear escape her eye and she slowly turned her head to the right to hide it.

"I...I don't want to play games with you, Usui. Not anymore."

To her surprise, he moved with a fluidity that would have put the most skilled dancers to shame, and sat by her side. He cradled her face in his hands even as her own stayed limply on her sides.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you all along. I never wanted to play games, Misa-chan. I just wanted you."

—

He'd finally said it, and there was no way he would be able to take his words back. He feared that this would be the end, that he would lose her forever, for his kind of devotion was the kind that scared Misaki and made her remember the father who had abandoned her. He knew that part of _that_ problem made her reluctant to acknowledge her own feelings, but God knows how he won't be able to forgive himself if he never tried.

She tilted her head up and her lips brushed his, making both of them freeze, none of them having expected that kind of movement. But a single touch is enough for him to lose the smallest willpower he had left—his lips crushed against hers, his fingers coming to rest on her nape, pulling her even closer to him.

The kiss is passionate at first, putting in it all the energy, stress and frustration that have mounted up since the last time they kissed, that day dressed as Romeo and Juliet, when they had desperately needed comfort and assurance and in some strange way found it in each other. But then he slowed down, his lips now soft and gentle on hers, while his fingers absently played with a couple of loose strands hanging down her face. He can feel her body trembling and he pulls her even more closer, wanting to warm her with his body, although he knows that the cold night air had nothing to do with the reason she is quivering. His determination slowly started to fade away, he wasn't angry or hurt anymore; all he wanted was to protect her, to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be alright. It was as if the kiss had taken away all the frustration, rage and pain he had been feeling for the past couple of months, leaving him to be able to breathe again, liberated of all the negative emotions.

He loved having her around. Period.

—

It was then when he finally understood the way she felt, and the corner of his lips curved into a small smile of relief as her hands came to rest on his chest, nestling there like it was where they belonged. He slowly pulled away, breathless, his eyes closed, his forehead resting on hers, their breathing synchronized.

"I missed you," he heard her say as quietly as possible and he knows that those three small words contain everything they have both felt and gone through ever since the time they had first kissed. The music was still playing, but it was slow and silent now that it was barely perceptible, as if it had decided to follow the rhythm that the two of them are now dictating. He knew that she was waiting for a reply, but he had other things on his mind as he listened to the melody slowly going to its end. He waited until the last beat and, without further warning, he ducked her down, ending their performance in a memorable closure. She gripped the edges of his collar in surprise but soon relaxed, because she knew that he would never let her fall.

Usui Takumi waited for the melody to cease, and then he leaned over and whispered,

"I love you."

He bent down to kiss her again, and the night fell silent.

—

**ah, i'm afraid it's the end for the 'tango' series. i hope it didn't disappoint anyone. hehe. moving on to the next plot. *winks* **ahem, i would just like to point out that i have never laid eyes on the manga (but am going to, soon!) and as such am clueless to the truth of their 'family situations.' i just read about usui's circumstances on wikipedia hehehe**  
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	4. Chapter 4

_several drabbles from my notebook. these are part of scenes i can't weave into full-length stories, so i just sort of posted them all together to make this entry. hehehe. hope it doesn't get readers confused. U.U_

_—_

colorless

He wonders, sometimes, long after Kaichou had left the shop and he's all alone, he wonders if life was always like this, always dull and broken and so empty; he wonders if he had a purpose before, someone to go home to, someone who cared for more than entertainment; he wonders, but then forgets what he was wondering about, and the cycle starts again and again and again, colorless and bland, just as he likes it best.

—

_He wore casual shorts and a shirt with the careless grace of a man entirely comfortable with himself and his body. He was all green hair, light hair and a mouth that inspire several choice fantasies. In rapid, _vivid_ succession. She was all too aware of the man standing next to her, and for once, she was at a loss for words. But Misaki was Misaki, so before he had a chance to say anything else she had turned her back on him._

—

sixth sense

She always knows where to find him; he can no longer surprise her by appearing out of nowhere—Misaki wonders if it's wise to taunt him with her new skill, if it's healthy to find Usui's barely masked vexed face appealing.

—

_"Hey, Maid-sama."_

_"You are unbelievable!" she whirled, outraged, before checking to see if anybody happened to have heard. He glanced at her vexed face and chuckled as she muttered, "You really should stop holding me to that at some point."_

_"There isn't anything embarrassing about having to work to support yourself, Prez. What I don't understand is why you keep flailing around in an identity crisis."_

_She opened her mouth to give her a piece of her mind but then his words seemed to have sunk in, for she seemed to consider._

_"That's not a bad way to put it, Usui-baka," she grinned a little ruefully. "But I think I've evolved into treading water now. No more flailing."_

_"Is the object to swim or to get out of the water?"_

_"I am _not_ getting into this kind of conversation with you!"_

_She was gone, and Usui sighed. He would just have to wait for her to find herself and maybe, just maybe, she would get to find him still waiting sans those walls of hers._

—

smell

He's got a strange smell around him—not bad, per se, but very distinctive; it's the smell of rosewood and rich leather, mixing into a unique perfume that never fails to rile her up.

—

moon

Usui thinks they're like the sea, the both of them, pulling and pushing, coming and going, always under the capricious spell of the moon...if only they could know who their moon is, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

—

air

Air, she needs air—she actually needs warmth, her family and home—but at the moment, Misaki is quite content with just a bit of air...now, if only she didn't have to take it from Usui's lungs, everything would be perfect.

—

water

Usui's starting to doubt Kaichou's capabilities as a healer—all she does is boil unholy amounts of water and shove them into his personal space without any apparent pattern or reason...her hands on him won't hurt anybody, though.

—

_"I want us to be together," she blurted out, much more loudly than she'd intended. Her words rebounded along the vast emptiness of the auditorium and she felt her cheeks burn._

_"What?" Usui said in that annoying singsong tone of his, his eyes narrowing like the way they did every time he made fun of her._

_"That's it, I'm going," Misaki snapped, and she angrily grabbed the papers stacked on the table in front of her. "Usui, you idiot—"_

_"Are you kidding?" he demanded, his face suddenly masked up in an inscrutable expression. "You can't throw something like that out there and then just take it all back. Stop—_running_—away—"_

_"That's—" she paused, selecting her words carefully, stubbornness and pride be damned. And then—"That's all I have to say."_

_"That's not good enough, Misa-chan," he replied, his voice dry. "You want us to be together? Define 'together.'"_

_"Just—look, let's just leave it at that," she snapped, suddenly defensive. "Is this some kind of a deposition? I actually don't feel like playing games with you."_

_He shook his head instead and reached out to hold her face between his hands._

_"I don't feel like playing at all," he said quietly. "I keep trying to tell you."_

—

paralysis

"I keep trying to tell you," and the words hold her back, freezing her features and her mind and all she can do is hear her heart beat wildly, ignoring her battered mind as she gives in.

—

_thanks for reading!:D_


	5. Chapter 5

_—_

If Usui Takumi had to name the thing he found the most beautiful in the world, he would say Kaichou's eyes._  
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It's often been said that the eyes are the windows to the souland he often wondered if it were true. He had first been drawn by her eyes, and then by her heart, for if you looked more closely there was more to her eyes than its golden hue. They had a hint of fire in them, giving them a color all their own. Sadness and anger shimmered far too often in those eyes, making them look like the exhausted eyes of an old woman.

She had, Usui concluded, seen far too much hardship.

That was also why he was so amazed whenever those eyes turned toward him shining, with what he hoped, love.

_For him._

"Usui-baka? What are you doing here? Can't I have a _quiet_ time at the library?"

He smiled, her exasperated tone not lost on him.

"It's almost seven, so I came to pick you up."

"What?"

But her eyes, _her eyes,_ were gazing up at him, just the tiniest bit softer and it was enough to give him hope.

Beautiful, he decided, wasn't a strong enough word.

—

_review? here's hoping. :)  
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